Canadians Will Take Pension Over Prominence

Jody White | February 26, 2008

Given a choice between stardom and civil service, which career would you choose? If you’re like most Canadians you’d favour the siren song of a steady job and a good pension over the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry, according to a survey.

The RBC sanctioned poll found that 34% of respondents prefer a low-profile government job, followed by 27% who would choose a high-flying career in entertainment. Rounding out the bottom of the list is financial services at 11% and accounting at 9%.

The results proved unexpected for Christianne Paris, vice-president, recruitment and learning, RBC. “It was surprising to see financial services and accounting near the bottom of the list, given that we receive hundreds of thousands of resumes each year and hire several thousand people in Canada annually,” she explains.

Perhaps not so surprising was the data that showed while 52% of working Canadians profess a strong sense of loyalty to their employers, only 28% would stay at their current job if offered more money elsewhere for a comparable position.

Sixty-nine percent of respondents said that salary was the top benefit an employer could offer, followed by health and benefits coverage (35%), and cash bonuses or profit sharing (34%). Opportunity for advancement and better work/life balance came out at 23% and 20%, respectively.

Paris suggests that while money is an important factor, today’s worker is looking for a balanced compensation package. “It is not enough to just offer someone a job,” she says. “Employers need to look at and annually review their total employment package which should include salary, benefits, learning and development options as well as an engaging work environment.”